Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Reflections

It's become very real over the past 17 months, this interfaith/pluralfaith thing I've thought so long and hard about and talked so very much about. Since the birth of our son, I've been fearful of this public forum. Here is the test, the trial, the time I put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. I confess I fear being judged now more than ever because now I'm involving an innocent. The choices we make about faith will now have a direct and real impact on the little person who has so recently joined our family. What if he feels torn, tugged, pulled, pressured to be something different when being different can be so very hard? What if he is confused? What if we fail?

Deep breath.

Yet, I trust that in community, whether virtual or actual, is the way to grow towards authentic engagement with God.

So I post this with trepidation and faith in hopes that you will continue with us on this crazy, mixed-up, messy, beautiful spiritual path.

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Religious Terminology

chametz or chometz - the five grains that Jews are forbidden to eat during Passover. When water is added to them, they ferment, which is leavening process. It is important to Jews not to each leavened foods as a physical reminder of the Passover story. When they escaped from Egypt over 2000 years ago, they did not have time to let their bread rise, so they ate unleavened bread called matzoh. Exodus 12:14-15 proclaims the act of remembrance by excluding wheat, spelt, barley, oats and rye from your diet. We also refrain from eating rice and corn in our family, but not legumes.

Imposition of Ashes - a Catholic tradition of applying ashes to your forehead in the shape of a cross. It is received on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The ashes are made from the palms branches used from last year's Palm Sunday service. Participants are reminded of the bittersweet nature of the Lenten season. It is a time when we mourn and celebrate simultaneously. It is also to reminds us of our own mortality here on earth and the hope of the spirit’s eternal life in heaven. This ritual practice was reintroduced to the United Methodist church about twenty years ago.

Parable of the Good Samaritan - When Jesus was asked how to earn eternal life by a lawyer, he replied with the commandment: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind," which comes from the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Then, he added, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The lawyer asked for clarification of Jesus' definition of neighbor. Jesus replied with a story. To paraphrase, there was a man injured on the side of the road. A priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan all passed him, but only the Samaritan stopped to help. The Samaritan represents the other in our lives, the one we least expect to help because we don't like them. The story highlights that everyone, even people you despise and those who despise you are your neighbors, so help them.